Christmas and all the excitement of December has gone any many people start to suffer from the January blues. I have been doing some research on how to beat these blues naturally and have come up with my top 7 tips.. Each of them alone can help you to feel better so why not try giving one or all of them a go and start 2012 off feeling good about yourself?
Tip 1 Eat Happy Foods!
Some foods can leave us feeling sluggish and down these tend to be fatty, sugary or processed foods so try avoiding these for a while and stocking up instead on some of these which actively promote feeling good and protecting the body:
Flax seeds or other foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids – These have been shown to reduce symptoms of low mood and aid sleep. Good sources of these include oily fish and nuts. Some products are now fortified with omega 3 too.
Bananas – Bananas contain tryptophan which the body uses to produce serotonin. They are also packed with potassium and vitamin B6. They also can help regulate blood sugars.
Complex Carbs – Complex carbs are found in things such as brown rice, oats and pulses. They give a sustained energy release and can help promote a feeling of wellbeing as they help produce tryptophan and serotonin.
Vitamin B, B6 and B5 – These are essential for the body’s conversion of food into energy and they aid mood elevation. They help support the adrenal glands which help support the body’s response to stress. B6 is essential for serotonin synthesis.
Immune strengthening foods – garlic, onions, beetroot, peppers, chillies, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, nuts, seeds, honey and blueberries. There are many more and they tend to generally be the raw and colourful ingredients in our diets.
Tip 2 Find out what’s making you feel down.
Ask yourself what is making you feel down in the dumps and rather than trying to push these feeling aside allow yourself to acknowledge them and then resolve them. To help to do this you can use the wheel of life, a tool used by many life coaches. The wheel of life is a circle divided by 8 spokes. Each of these spokes represents an area of your life:
Bananas – Bananas contain tryptophan which the body uses to produce serotonin. They are also packed with potassium and vitamin B6. They also can help regulate blood sugars.
Complex Carbs – Complex carbs are found in things such as brown rice, oats and pulses. They give a sustained energy release and can help promote a feeling of wellbeing as they help produce tryptophan and serotonin.
Vitamin B, B6 and B5 – These are essential for the body’s conversion of food into energy and they aid mood elevation. They help support the adrenal glands which help support the body’s response to stress. B6 is essential for serotonin synthesis.
Immune strengthening foods – garlic, onions, beetroot, peppers, chillies, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, nuts, seeds, honey and blueberries. There are many more and they tend to generally be the raw and colourful ingredients in our diets.
Tip 2 Find out what’s making you feel down.
Ask yourself what is making you feel down in the dumps and rather than trying to push these feeling aside allow yourself to acknowledge them and then resolve them. To help to do this you can use the wheel of life, a tool used by many life coaches. The wheel of life is a circle divided by 8 spokes. Each of these spokes represents an area of your life:
1 – Health 2 – Money 3 – Social life 4 – Partner/relationship 5 – Work/career
6 – Friends and family 7 – Physical environment and home 8 – Personal growth/spirituality
For each of the spokes give yourself a score out of 10. Where you score less than 5 this is an area that you need to focus on and write out any problems that you feel are in this area and then try to find solutions for. Set yourself goals for these areas and problems. Try to double at least one of your spoke scores within a set amount of time e.g. I will spend more time with my family by the end of the month etc.
Tip 3 Set short and long term goals
This helps you have a purpose in life and helps you to keep focused on this purpose rather than concentrating on the negative aspects of your life. The sense of achievement that reaching your goals gives you helps to raise your confidence and self esteem. Make sure that your goals are all SMART (see the New Year’s Resolution blog for more information on this).
Tip 4 Socialise and build or maintain relationships and friendships
When you feel depressed or down you can start to isolate yourself, this increases the feelings of depression. Mixing with people does help to left the spirits!
Close relationships affect how we feel, so nurture them and if there is problems try to resolve them. If you need some help try organisations such as RELATE http://www.relate.org.uk/home/index.html
Friendships also affect how we feel, just having a friend to listen and talk to can make a huge difference. Make sure you devote some time to maintaining or making new ones. Remember it is quality of friendship that matters not quantity!
If you are having trouble making new friendships why not try: Joining a health club or gym, Joining a class at a local centre, Joining a team or a club, Joining a book club, Volunteering at a local centre or charity, Learning a craft, Joining a local Women’s or Men’s group, Joining a local drama club, Attending reunions or Joining a church. These are just a few suggestions!
Tip 5 Exercise
Close relationships affect how we feel, so nurture them and if there is problems try to resolve them. If you need some help try organisations such as RELATE http://www.relate.org.uk/home/index.html
Friendships also affect how we feel, just having a friend to listen and talk to can make a huge difference. Make sure you devote some time to maintaining or making new ones. Remember it is quality of friendship that matters not quantity!
If you are having trouble making new friendships why not try: Joining a health club or gym, Joining a class at a local centre, Joining a team or a club, Joining a book club, Volunteering at a local centre or charity, Learning a craft, Joining a local Women’s or Men’s group, Joining a local drama club, Attending reunions or Joining a church. These are just a few suggestions!
Tip 5 Exercise
The effects on mood of exercise can be instant. Whether it is a workout at the gym, a simple walk in the sun or as a member of a team, exercise can be uplifting. This effect is partly due to the body releasing its mood boosting and pain killing endorphins. These are a drug free way to feel better. Exercise also has many other benefits including a healthier body and increased self esteem from looking and feeling better. There is lots of research that shows exercise is depression beating.
Tip 6 Sleep
Sleeping well can have a big affect on how we feel, look and perform on a daily basis. Sleep directly impacts upon our overall quality of life. Good quality sleep leaves our mind and body ready for a new day by enabling muscle repair, memory consolidation and the release of hormones regulating growth and appetite. It helps concentration and allows us to better make decisions and participate fully in activities. To help you to get better sleep make sure that you give yourself a regular bedtime routine that includes a wind down period with no food, caffeine or alcohol. Having a hot bath or shower and a milky drink can help relax the muscles and allow you to drift off to sleep naturally.
Tip 7 Ask for help.
If you still are feeling down and can’t seem to shake the negative thoughts and feelings then ask for help. There is no shame in admitting that you need some help and turning to others to get it. Try your doctor or organisations such as MIND http://www.mind.org.uk/
I hope that this January and the rest of 2012 is a happy and healthy one for you.
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